Welcome to the Beginner Flowers forum!

This forum is here as a special place where you can ask ANY question about your annuals, perennials and bulbs. It's our hope that this forum will make a comfortable introduction to gardening for any of our members who need it. Have fun!

Hi there, and please allow me to add my welcome to Dave's. There are many, many people here in the Dave's Garden community who are more than happy to help out our newcomers, so please don't be shy. There's a wealth of knowledge and experience here for you to draw on.

Enjoy the time you spend here, and feel free to ask us anything you want to about annuals, perennials, and bulbs. I'm looking forward to being able to help you out with your questions whenever I can. Happy gardening!

Hi Everyone New to Dave's Garden Well Come much !!
I enjoy all types of gardening House plants, Tropical's, Growing by seed is a joy too my Hubby and I both enjoy ! We just like growing everything ! Were growing more outside now than in as living in Florida Tropical weather makes it even more fun we have fount we can grow everything ! Each day I enjoy reading Dave's News seeing new photo's in Plant Files learning about new plants and finding where I can buy them ! Amazing all the beautiful plants there are we have been trying a lot of new ones and most Thanks to nice caring people on DG's sharing with us ! I'd like to share with you all too !
I like to share information and answer any questions I can . I enjoy trading and sharing what ever I have too !
Have fun ! Allison

I've been fighting the urge to start my seeds as well and I confess I'm chomping at the bit! Last year I started too many seeds way too early and it became a full time job caring for them 'til it was warm enough to get them in the ground. Last year I saved some of my own seed so I'm especially anxious to see how they do this year. OK. The more I talk about it the more I'm losing my resolve to wait a few more weeks. LOL!

Hi everybody. I'm brand new to the sight and pretty new to the gardening world as well. This will only be my 2nd full season of planting and I confess I'm now a total adict. My friends think I'm an expert and come to me with all their questions when in truth I still know so little. (I just have them fooled 'cause I spend every spare mintue digging, planting, and weeding.) I look forward to getting to know you all.

Well Come everyone ! Hi Jane ! I can see starting too many. I do this all the time lol Years ago when I was working and lived up North I did it every year. I shared with neighbros so they were thrilled !
Now living in a 55 plus mobile home park I still do it we just love growing year round with seeds, trade cuttings bubls and more ! We are finding our front screen porch which is 24 ft by 12 sunny and warm during the day filling up ! I feel in Feb. I will be starting a lot of seeds ! New ones I've never tried. I enjoy reading DG news letter each day, seeing new plants in Plant Files and finding where I can buy them or some nice DG trades or shares with me. I learn new things here on DG each day ! This year and have already starting we plant on trying lot's of new different seeds and oldies too !
I say go ahead and start your seeds ! It's a fun Winter Hobby while your waiting for Spring !
Happy Growing !
Allison

Lala Jane, Patience! ! ! Follow the instructions on the seed packet.
I've been starting my own seeds since Eisenhower was in office. Starting too early produces weak, spindly plants unless you have a greenhouse.
I tend to start my tomato seeds later than most but still have some of the earliest ripe ones around.
You may also want to set up a cold frame for that period when the seedlings need more space, sun and air.
Andy P

Jane I'm in Florida Tropical land so timing is different for me though I grew up my whole life just about in RI, MA and Maine so I did a lot of fun Winter sowing !There's never any harm in trying different things. If it's a special seed use some now save some. Gardening has always been a fun learning experience for me from a child ( we grew everything ) and now a Grandma ! Each year, each area we have lived the weather changes each year. Sometimes the Winters are warm and Spring comes early. Zones are now changing too. Each year we enjoy try different seeds, different growing methods and also use the ones we have used for years and had great sucess with for years along with the new ! This year were going to lots of new seeds as I've been doing some fun trading !! Different seeds can be sowed at different times . Dave's Garden has a nice Winter Sowing forum you might enjoy visitng too ! I can't wait to see pictures of people's seedlings and flowers ! Do you have favorite flowers Jane you enjoy growing !!
Some seeds I start inside with heat mats.
Main thing have Fun ! Happy Growing :))
Allison

Try this site, I copied it from the winter sowing forum. I'm waiting for some of my seeds to arrive next week, ones that I purchased online. I sowed some last night that I bought last summer and put them outside.

Here is another great Winter Sow link. It's from Dave's Garden Winter Sow and I'm pretty sure it's open to everyone. There is laods of pictures and good information and Winter sowing going on there !http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/coldsow/all/

Thanks for all the input, you are such a friendly group! I am about to check out both the links you have provided as I can't seem to get enough ino. Me thinks gardening has always been in my blood but I was just a late bloomer. ;-)

Actually I live on a postage stamp and without any spare space I never really gave gardening much thought. But I recently acquired a small undeveloped lot behind my house and now the sky is the limit. (Well actually the finances are the limit, but you get my drift.)

Oh and I usually go by "Lala" or even just "La," but both of those names were already taken, LOL.

Hi everybody!
I wish i started with this relaxing gardening before! Once i got into this, I never stopped,specially when your first seeds started to germinate! I got the American Horticultural Society's A-Z Enciclopedia Of Garden Plants and also Plant Propagation.Both Books are a nice fountain of knowledge,like this wonderful website too!
Happy Gardening and thanks a lot Dave!

A special welcome to all new gardners. If this site is anything like Dave's Garden, it is destined to be a wealth of information, not to mention the comraderie that exists between gardners. Seasoned gardners share their bounty of knowledge like they would a bumper crop....

Enjoy your visit thru this new garden, and I hope to bump into you sometimes...

Welcome! I've been at Dave's Garden for about a year now and although I've been gardening off and on for decades, I still find myself learning about new plants and gardening things. I'll be happy to help anyone with gardening questions. Feel free to ask.

Hello- There are several of us that have seeds for newbies(don't kid yourself-I am one too and i ordered too many). Here is the link. there are available for the asking for just a self addressed envelope. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/696425/ This is located under the seed trading forum. As the season starts for different zones, we all have plenty of extras to try.

I'm a California backyard gardener/canner. Orange, lemon and peach trees, three types of grapes, a 90-sq. ft vegetable garden, and flowering plants. I've two unrelated questions: 1) What do I use to fertilize gazenias?; and 2) How do I keep ants and (mostly) rodents off of my grape vines before harvest?

Here's a good newbie question: I sowed some carnation and stock seeds in those little seed sprouters. A miracle happened, and they've sprouted. A lot of them. What do I do now? One book said to "prick out" and replant the extras. ?? They have two little leaves now. Is this the right time to do that? Is it the right thing to do?

Constance, you need to thin out what has sprouted so that th ones you leave will grow strong. You can certainly try to transplant what you have thinned out, but in my experience, they never make it. so just thin out and if you transplant, and any of them take, then that is a bonus...... good luck, its always fun to watch things grow from seeds, very rewarding.

Bruce, Gazanias are like a weed here, they never get fertilized and seem to thrive on neglect, you should see some of the places that i have seen gazanias sprouting. On sidewalk cracks, between cobblestones, among the ruins of Ephesus they are everywhere, at the halicarnas amphitheater, and on and on.

regarding the ants, they are troublesome to b sure, you know of course that the feed on aphids, so if you have aphids, the ants are your friend, but they can be a bother.
I used to have a big problem with ants, and i tried a lot of natural things, grits mixed with sugar, borax mixed with sugar etc., then ended up with a chemical spray, but here is something that i found that you might want to try.

Whilst ants are not a pest and do some benefit in the garden. Most people do not like a ant setting up house under their patio or in their lawn.
A sure fire way to get rid of them is mix a small bottle of clove oil (from the chemist) in a large watering can with a rose sprinkler. Quickly water this over the area the ants have set up home ........ and stand back! First you will see the flying ants leaving the nest in droves, the soldier ants will follow them on foot.

hope someone can help me. I am starting a large garden. The area is 38 X 78. I am planning on starting seeds indoors and some outdoors directly on the soil. I understand that I should mulch. How do you start seeds and mulch at the same time. how do you mulch around seeds that have been scattered. What about birds eating them. Help, i'm confused.

You probably don't want to do seeds and mulch at the same time, the mulch may prevent your seeds from coming up so it's best to wait until after the seedlings have sprouted and are big enough that you can mulch around them easily. To protect them from the birds you can try putting a light covering of straw over top, that should help some but will still allow light through to the seeds.

Okay, I can save money by propogating my own ornamental potato vines, I just found out, so that will help pay for my new hosta bed, oh yes, there may be a hosta co-op, better check that out, and by saving money there, I can put in the new coleus bed and get some of the new coleuses I saw on the coleus forum, and, and, and, and, and....

This site is addicting! I have too many bare spots and too many ideas....

Hi everyone! I'm very excited to be a part of DG and I have been reading so many posts filled with wonderful tips, pictures and helpful hints. My question is this: I live in the PNW-zone 7 and I want to plant some evergreen perennials-not from seed but purchasing at my local nursery. Does anyone have a suggestion of what type of perrenial I should plant? The area gets mid morning sun and then shady in the late afternoon. I don't want to have a lot of upkeep and would love a variety of color. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.

Hi Carolyn, welcome to DG! You might try starting a new thread with your question, I'm not sure how many people are still paying attention to this one (to start a new thread, go back one screen to the page with the list of all the threads in the forum, then when you're there you should see a link just underneath all the navigation tabs that says "post a new thread")

Hello. I am fely from Sabah. For anyone who never heard of Sabah, it is one of Malaysian state located at the Borneo Island. I have just started growing flowers in container. I was browsing for some information on the net when I found this great forum.

Hi...I need some advice....I moved to this house 3 yrs ago...while out walking one spring I came across a huge field of daffodils and narcisscus that had naturalized...with some investigation I found out that a lady, in the 1940's, had lived in a house there...so I assume she or someone before her had planted these and left to their own devices they spread.
Anywho, I am going to be moving in July and would love to take some of the bulbs with me to my new home...can I dig them this time of year...do I plant them immediately or in the fall or what..as you can tell I am somewhat garden illiterate...and would appreciate any advice anyone can give me.
Thanks!!!!!!!! :-)

Mimi, I'm no expert, but I've dug up hundreds from April to May, they always did good! They're kinda hard to kill, in my experience!
Just remember, you need to seperate every few years, or they will get smaller blooms, and finally quit blooming.
Doe/Audrey

I'm new to this forum. Looking for any help with a Mandevilla. I have it on my deck now but the nights are still pretty cool here at night so I have been bringing it in. Does anyone have any suggestions.

First one is definitely a Salvia of some sort and not a weed. Might be 'Indigo Spires' but there are other possibilities too. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/26149/ The second one I think we'll need a better shot of the flowers to really know what it is. You might want to start a new thread with your questions--I'm not sure how many people still pay attention to this one, but if you start your own more people will notice it. To start your new thread, go back one page to the page that lists all the different threads in this forum, and near the top of the page just under the navigation tabs you'll see a link that says something along the lines of "post a new thread".